Pudding was taken to a vets just before Christmas in 2015, his owners no longer wanted him and they wanted him euthanised. Fortunately the vet refused and took him into the practice’s care. He had a urinary infection and was covered in urine scald; his legs and bottom were red raw from sitting in urine, it had burnt away his fur. He also had developed snuffles, a chronic respiratory infection which caused him to sneeze a lot. The vets couldn’t care for him over Christmas so he came home with me on foster. I fell for him straight away. I’d fostered bunnies before but he was different. I was meant to have him for 2 weeks but after 8 months he was still with me, living as a free range house bunny. I officially adopted him. Due to his veterinary history I decided not to insure him as insurers don’t cover pre-existing conditions. Over the next couple of years he was in and out of the vets when his snuffles flared up.

A month ago during a routine health check the vet found his ears were full of pus and blood and booked him in for surgery to flush his ears out. He came home and was recovering well, but a few days later he wasn’t himself and his breathing was very laboured so we rushed him to the emergency out of hours vet. His snuffles (pasteurella) had travelled to his inner ear. He had a very high temperature and was admitted and put on oxygen as he was struggling to breathe. The next day he had gone downhill, he could no longer stand up, had a head tilt and nystagmus. We went to visit him in the evening and he passed away shortly after we arrived. We were, and still are, beyond devastated. Life just isn’t the same without his cheeky little face running around the house.

Sadly, his wife bun, Clover, contracted the disease and she is still undergoing treatment for her ear infection. We are praying that we’ve caught it soon enough that she will survive.

The vet bill is now over £1,000 and I would be very grateful for any help towards paying this off.